002.70.Idrija

Idrija Mercury Heritage Management Center, Bazoviška 2, SI-5280 Idrija

Public

Republic of Slovenia

EŠD 4826

Mine, Development of new activities

The level is a system of tunnels and active stopes on the same height, between two levels. Level I/17 of the Kropáč mining field consists of: Connecting-tracking passage, Kavčič sliding hole I/17–I/13, blind shaft no. 20, Jeklenka sliding hole I/17–I/15, a part of the level I/17 is impassible. For connecting level I/17 with Attems' decline, a part of the track was rebuilt. Because the tunnels are excavated in geomechanically differently solid rocks, different types of supports were used. Level I/17 is supported with a typical wooden rectangular supports and at places where the pressure is the strongest, a complex trapeze supports is used. The tunnels were not supported in the harder rocks. The rich syngenetic cinnabar ore in Skonca beds was excavated on the Kropáč and Ziljska levels.

The length on the map is 192 m. The length of unsupported tunnels is 29.70 m.

Rock, wood.

1508

Idrija Mercury Mine

Level I/17 is part of a larger mineralised area of ore body called Kropáč-Ziljska. In this part of the Idrija mine, the sedimentary rocks rich with mercury, called Skonca beds, cinnabar ores and ores rich with native mercury (especially carbon slate) were excavated. A layer of ore bearing Skonca layers was up to 30 m wide. The excavation was executed from the bottom up. More effective ore excavation on the Kropáč level I/17 (and in ore bodies on Kropáč and Ziljska in general) was enabled by numerous technical innovations. These were gradually implemented from the 1960s onwards. During that time, the use of compressed air for machine drives (originally for drilling) was expanded to the ore loading process ore and to the blown backfill of the tunnels. During that period, the wet drilling and the new method of drilling with “reverse circulation”,- the special core drilling technology in extremely poor rocky conditions, was introduced in the Idrija mine. They also introduced deep research drilling and therefore easier exploration of ore bodies.

Level I/17 of the Kropáč mining field is being preserved, secured and presented as important monument of Idrija mining heritage with exceptional universal values. Because the tunnels are excavated in geomechanically differently solid rocks, different types of the supports were used on the level. On the part where the pressure is the strongest, a special secondary wooden support is used. The museum display on this part presents the research drilling (drilling machine, layout method and drilling equipment); Jeklenka sliding hole, which connected the levels I/17 and I/15 and served for pouring the ore; steel level cart (hund); chute - served for pouring the ore from the blind shaft into the pit cart; level mining method from the top down; workers protection during the acquisition of carbon slate with native mercury; place for storing explosives, etc. Occasionally, cultural events take place on this level.

Level I/17 of the Kropáč mining field lies 22 m under the level of Anthony's Main Road (altitude of 330 m).

No changes.

- In 1995 the section between the blind shaft Kavčič and Attems' decline was rebuilt (approx. 50 m);
- scheduled supports maintenance.

good

Performing regular maintenance services by the programme, including status control and preservation, security and presentation of the heritage.

- The Cultural Heritage Register of the Republic of Slovenia;
- Ordinance on the proclamation of the technical heritage in the Idrija and its surroundings for cultural monuments of national importance. Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia no. 66/01, 55/02, 16/08;
- ZVKDS Restavratorski center. Konservatorski načrt Idrija - Antonijev rov. Ljubljana, Idrija, 2010;
- Rules on the designation and protection of natural values (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia no. 111/04, 70/06, 58/09, 93/10 and 23/15);
- Republic of Slovenia, Ministry of Culture. Starting points of the programme of the comprehensive protection of the cultural heritage and natural values, related with the Idrija ore deposit. Idrija, 2010.

Mestni muzej Idrija

Miha Kosmač

2. 3. 2018

Never